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Simeon the Niger
Acts 13:1-2
Is he from Nigeria or Niger republic ?
He is a black man
Discussion
11 comments
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I just read this the other day and wondered about it too
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Hahaha maybe
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Black
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It would depend a lot on what the word niger was translated from in the Greek. It may mean something totally different, as that particular word, as we know and understand it, didn’t exist when the Bible was first being translated into English
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I would say yes absolutely. Do you propose there is a significance of races in the new covenant?
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People do travel, so this could be a nomad of any race? However, it’s very likely a black person.
Here’s a better translation:
“Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.”
The word ‘called’ comes from kaloumenos. Look up the Greek on Bible Hub. Also, I looked up the word Niger, and it’s only used here. Since we know that the word Niger has been a place for like forever, this might be a nickname of sorts. It would be like Moses being called Egypt, Jacob being referred to as Israel (regardless of whether that’s where he came from, or a blues player calling himself Detroit.Again, he was NOT called Simeon the Niger. That’s a bad translation. Even if it wasn’t, it would be like Moses the Egyptian, or Moses the Egypt. However, again, bad translation. He was named, or called Niger. Compare this to Simon called Peter. Niger would only be an insult of a name if you thought the place was bad. This is just a factual account of a name and a nickname. Moreso, he’s included right alongside other saints, which is good and elevated inclusion, showing equality.
We need also remember that the word negro meant black in multiple European languages, which likely came out of the people of Niger, but we’d have to research that. Calling black people negro, aka black, as it means black was a descriptive not insulting word. The Spanish word negro, pronounced, nay-grow is still on even American products like crayons and makeup. The word taking the neg, and adding er, came much later. The word was altered to be more insulting. One, most Bible translations would not refer to this as “the Niger”, in fact I can’t find one online. Contextually from knowing the naming, I don’t think it was meant as the black or the black man and only a couple translations put it that way, and they are not the better translations.
Niger is not the only area to be translated as Black. “In the early period of Egypt, during the Old Kingdom, Egypt was referred to as Kemet (Kermit), or simply Kmt , which means the Black land. They called themselves “remetch en Kermet”, which means the “People of the Black Land”. The term refers to the rich soil found in the Nile Valley and Delta.”
So, a man could be called Kemet, referring to being from Kemet. He would not be calling him “black”, but Kemet which could mean black. This is very likely what being called Niger refers to. Any insinuation that this could be an insult is faulty. -
“The country takes its name from the Niger River, which flows through the southwestern part of its territory. The name Niger derives in turn from the phrase gher n-gheren, meaning “river among rivers,” in the Tamashek language.” Gher ngher en. Ngher became Niger.
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I don’t think it was an insult , black is dignity and not a curse , the name Niger is trackable to the black race. Which have been a key player in the shapen of our Christian theology.
Lucius is also from North Africa as well as Simeon from cyrene and his sons Alexander and Rufus.
Acts 11 :20 mentioned the cyrenian going to Antioch to preach the gospel.
So in Christianity nothing should be tied to racism -
The only “Christianity” tied to racism is warped doctrine and bad theology. You can warp anything. “Let’s eat, Grandma” becomes a horrible statement the moment you forget the comma. It’s that easy to change truth to danger and evil.
I’m not sure when the term Niger started as a country but it seems the river and the region was called it pretty early. The history’s confusing, but the point is, it didn’t matter to them because he went by that name. Also, people didn’t believe in races then since races don’t exist and were created as ideas a few hundred years ago. People were separated by nations, cultures and religion, not race. -
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